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FISH

Name: FISH
Author: L.S. Matthews
ISBN: 0-385-73180-9

by L.S. Matthews ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 6, 2004

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In an unnamed time and place a war has reduced the population to starvation levels. Now they must flee the soldiers from both sides. Led by a wise guide, husband-and-wife aid workers and their young child, Tiger, are the last to leave, heading for a nation whose borders have been closed to refugees. Tiger rescues a fish from a fast-drying mud hole and carries it throughout the harrowing journey. An introduction states that a powerful story can help young readers connect with harsh realities that seem removed from their daily lives. However, in an effort to achieve universality, the possibility of a real connection is diminished. The characters have no names or nationalities. It is unclear whether Tiger is male or female. The adults treat each setback with calm acceptance, perhaps to spare Tiger. But the lack of strong emotion serves to lessen the intensity. Everyone survives even the most dangerous and violent event without explanation. There are allusions to mysticism and allegory as well via the Guide and the fish. It’s all probably way over the heads of its intended readers. Well intentioned, but flawed. (Fiction. 12+)

Pub Date: June 6, 2004

ISBN: 0-385-73180-9

Page Count: 192

Publisher: Delacorte

Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2004

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ACTION & ADVENTURE FICTION | CHILDREN'S FAMILY

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FUDGE-A-MANIA

by Judy Blume ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 1, 1990

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A well-loved author brings together, on a Maine vacation, characters from two of her books. Peter's parents have assured him that though Sheila ("The Great") Tubman and her family will be nearby, they'll have their own house; but instead, they find a shared arrangement in which the two families become thoroughly intertwined—which suits everyone but the curmudgeonly Peter. Irrepressible little brother Fudge, now five, is planning to marry Sheila, who agrees to babysit with Peter's toddler sister; there's a romance between the grandparents in the two families; and the wholesome good fun, including a neighborhood baseball game featuring an aging celebrity player, seems more important than Sheila and Peter's halfhearted vendetta. The story's a bit tame (no controversies here), but often amusingly true to life and with enough comic episodes to satisfy fans.